Full disclosure, never before admitted: I half-watched Back To The Future, Part III (’90) when it hit cable, but I never paid to see it in a theatre. Because I kind of hated Back To The Future, Part II (’89), and particularly the overbearing, one-note Biff and Griff Tannen characters (Thomas F. Wilson). If you want to feel seriously Biffed out, go to the Back to the Future ride at Universal City…torture!

But I was one of the many millions who fell hard for the original Back to the Future when it popped in July ’85. Who didn’t, right?

My strongest memory is actually how great “The Power of Love” (i.e., Huey Lewis and the News) sounded through the cranked-up sound system at the Century City theatre (or was it the Cinerama Dome?) where I caught my first screening, and particularly Johnny Colla‘s rhythm guitar track.

Ultra-distinct, heavily amplified, separate-track sound wasn’t exactly a novelty in theatres back in ’85, but this was the first time (for me anyway) that movie-generated rhythm guitar sounded truly exceptional. I mean I was seriously impressed by those “Power” chords and just sinking into those wonderful vibrations tickling my rib cage.